Good-bye chorizo, hello Carmenere!

When I awoke from heart surgery this summer and found myself a vegetarian, the idea of living the rest of my life without chorizo seemed too cruel. This is, afterall, one of the best breakfast meats on the planet.

This weekend I tried a chorizo substitute made from soy. Can you guess the name? Soyrizo, what else?  Find out more here.

While the thought of fake chorizo didn't sound appetizing, I have to tell you it turned out pretty darn good. It's fake. I know that. But it does the trick.

A second culinary discovery this weekend came in the form of wine made from the grape Carmenere. Frankly, I had never heard of it before, but the guy at the wine store talked me into it. "It's different", he said.

And it was. It used to be a popular grape in France for blends, but fell out of favor. It is now primarily grown in South America. Anyway, I found it a refreshing change from the obligatory cab table wine.

Check it out. I'm sure, like all wines, there are good ones and bad ones. Ask your wine store guy to recommend a good one. Should be able to get a good one for $20 a bottle, or less.

So, tonight it is breakfast for supper. Soyrizo and eggs ... and a nice glass of Carmenere. Wish me luck.